Universities in the front-line of workplace mediation initiatives

In the Tuesday 3 May Education Guardian Paul Randolph recognised how people in dispute at universities often want to win rather than achieve peace. Paul Randolph’s rational and eloquent appeal to universities to utilise mediation more as a cost effective dispute resolution process was persuasive, if a little out of date. In fact there are many examples of universities being in the front-line of workplace mediation initiatives. Many have set up internal mediation services with fully trained and accredited mediators saving much pain, upset, money and time. Sunderland, Northumbria, Cambridge, Leeds Metropolitan have all achieved high success rates on disputes between academics, students, administrative staff and senior executives. All of these have been achieved without tribunals or massive loss of face. Perhaps the Education Guardian might like to follow a mediation service as it quells the drama of conflict and replaces it with dialogue.